Combination cigarette package and lighter case



Nov. 13, 1962 T. KLEM 3,063,552

COMBINATION CIGARETTE PACKAGE AND LIGHTER CASE Filed June 1, 1959 2 Sheets$heet 1 I. I. I. I"

FIG. 3

INVENTOR T H O MAS K LE M ATTORNEY Nov. 13, 1962 T. KLEM 3,063,552

COMBINATION CIGARETTE PACKAGE AND LIGHTER CASE Filed June 1, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR TH OMAS KLEM ATTORNEY United States Patent Oflice 3,053,552 Patented Nov. 13, 1962 Filed June 1, 1959, Ser. No. 817,205 3 Claims. (Cl. Mid-41.4)

This invention relates to carrying means. In a more specific aspect, it relates to a carrying case for the pocket of wearing apparel, purses, glove or other compartments,

and the like. In a still more specific aspect, this invention relates to a case for holding and carrying a package of cigarettes. Yet in a more specific aspect, this invention relates to a case for holding and carrying a pocket cigarette lighter. Still in a more specific aspect, this invention relates to a case for carrying both a package of cigarettes and a pocket cigarette lighter.

Means for holding, containing and carrying packages of cigarettes have long been known. Also, combination cases for carrying a package of cigarettes and a pocket cigarette lighter are known. These cases of the prior art all have their disadvantages, and none of the prior combination cases have been successful commercially to any extent, principally because of the uneconomic and complicated combination cases resulting from attempting to overcome the inherent difiiculty in maintaining the open package of cigarettes and the pocket cigarette lighter in juxtaposition Within the case. The lighter fluids advisedly are kept completely out of contact with the cigarettes, and of course, this is true of fumes from the cigarette lighter, which are almost avoidable in a closed carrying case. Also, the case or the part thereof containing the package of cigarettes must very desirably be maintained relatively tightly closed between times of removing a cigarette from a package of same in the case, because of the problem of the cigarettes drying out, and because particles of tobacco, etc. will fall from out the case into the pocket or purse of the user, which is quite undesirable. Further, the successful case must provide for easy introduction of the package of cigarettes thereinto, and easy removal of the cigarettes individually and the empty package therefrom. Some persons will smoke from two to three packages of cigarettes a day. The lighter of usual manufacture requires refilling with lighter fluid, flint, etc., quite frequently, and the convenient case must provide for easy insertion and removal of the pocket cigarette lighter. In order to overcome these problems and provide for the necessary functions, the combination cases of the prior art are very complicated and expensive of structure, and even then they are disadvantageous in use.

I have invented a carrying case, particularly designed for carrying a package of cigarettes and a pocket cigarette lighter, which overcomes all of the disadvantages of the prior cases. The new carrying case of my invention is very simple of structure, economic to manufacture, reliable in use, and very convenient in use, both from the standpoint of inserting and removing the lighter as necessary and inserting the package of cigarettes, removing cigarettes therefrom one by one, and removing the empty package from the case, and from the standpoint of use within the purse or pocket of the user. In the preferred embodiment of the combination case for a package of cigarettes and a pocket cigarette lighter of my invention, the cigarette lighter and package of cigarettes are completely separated by an imperforate partition between the portions of the case holding the lighter and package of cigarettes. As a result, no lighter fluid or fumes from lighter fluid can come into contact with the package for the cigarettes or the cigarettes therein. The portion of my preferred case wherein the package of cigarettes is held is normally tightly closed, thus protecting the cigarettes from fumes, etc., drying out, and also tobacco particles, etc., are contained within the case to not clutter up the purse or pocket of the user.

The new cigarette and lighter case of my invention has a body or case of pliable material, preferably readily pliable and relatively thin plastic material. The case has a pocket therein of size to receive and hold a package of cigarettes. This pocket for the package of cigarettes is openable by squeezing the sides of the case. The case also has another pocket therein of size to receive and hold a cigarette lighter, preferably a common pocket size cigarette lighter and with the operating mechanism of the lighter extending from without the case, so that the lighter may be used without removal from the case. The cigarette and lighter case has pocket defining means therein between the pockets for the packages of cigarettes and the cigarette lighter. These pocket defining means in my preferred specific embodiment are imperforate partition means defining the inner extent of the pockets and preventing any fluid communication between the pockets for the package of cigarettes and the cigarette lighter. And, in this preferred specific embodiment, the partition cooperates with the sides of the case structurally to prevent such fluid communication to in turn prevent contamination of cigarettes by lighter fluids or fumes from the lighter fluid.

It is an object of this invention to provide new carrying means.

It is another object of this invention to provide a new carrying case for a package of cigarettes.

It is another object of this invention to provide a carrying case for a pocket cigarette lighter.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a combination case for a package of cigarettes and a pocket cigarette lighter.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a combination case for a package of cigarettes and a pocket cigarette lighter which is easy and economic to manufacture, and reliable and convenient in use.

Other objects and advantages of the new cigarette and lighter case of my invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading this disclosure.

Drawings accompany and are a part of this disclosure. These drawings depict preferred specific embodiments of the new cigarette package and lighter case of my invention, and it is to be understood that the drawings are not to unduly limit the scope of my invention.

In the drawings,

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a preferred specific embodiment of the new package of cigarettes and pocket cigarette lighter case of my invention.

FIG. 2 is a right side elevation view of same.

FIG. 3 is a view taken on line 33 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal cross sectional view through the case, showing thereon in dotted lines a package of cigarettes and a pocket cigarette lighter in position in the case.

FIG. 5 is a bottom view of the case.

FIG. 6 is a bottom view of the case in open position, and showing an open package of cigarettes within the case in position for removing a cigarette therefrom and the case.

FIG. 7 is a partial side view of the end portion of the case shown in FIG. 6 and in that position.

FIG. 8 is a top View of the case.

In the following is a discussion and description of the new cigarette and lighter case vof my invention. The discussion and description is made with reference to the drawings whereon the same reference numerals are used to indicate the same or similar parts and/0r structure. Preferred specific embodiments of the new cigarette and lighter case of my invention are set forthfor cigarette package 13 has a central slit in the discussion and description, and it is to be understood that such is not to unduly limit the scope of my invention.

Referring now to the drawings, a preferred specific embodiment of my invention is shown in the form of a case for a package of cigarettes of common size and a pocket cigarette lighter of common commercial variety. .Of course, the size of the case is varied to accommodate the so-called regular size pack. of cigarettes, and the king-size pack. The common commercial pocket cigarette lighters are all approximately the same size, that is, at least 50% to 75% of them, and one size of case has been found suitable to hold most pocket cigarette lighters, such as, those sold under the trademarks Ronson, Evans, the many imported cigarette lighters of similar shape, size and structure, and the like. The preferred specific embodiment of the case shown in the drawings is generally referred to by numeral 11. It is preferably integrally formed of thin and readily pliable plastic material, such as, polyethylene, polystyrene, and the like. The usual molding and forming means and procedures can easily be employed, and I have found that two-sectioned tools and/or dies can be made and used to produce the case structure.

Preferably the case 11 is made elongated and sectionalized with the package of cigarettes 13 and pocket cigarette lighter 15 contained and carried in the case end to end. Of course, if desired, side by side carrying case structure can be utilized with the same materials, procedures and production means.

The case 11 has opposite narrow sides 17 and opposite relatively wide sides 19. The relatively wide sides 19 taper in width toward one end of the case, the pocket cigarette lighter end, and are semi-circular in the other end portion 21. The end portion of case 11 having the semi-circular end portions of the sides 19 is a normally closed pocket. This pocket for the package of cigarettes is preferably of size in the inner end portion to snugly receive the bottom end or the normally closed end of the package of cigarettes 13. The size of the package of cigarettes 13 to be carried determines the length of this pocket portion of case 11, preferably with the normally openable end of the package of cigarettes 13 extending into the portion of the pocket of the case having the approximately semi-circular outer end portions 21 of sides 19. The outer end of this end pocket portion of case 11 23 therein from one of the narrow sides 17 to the other. This slit 23 is preferably throughout the portion having the approximately semi-circular end portions 21 of relatively wide sides 19. The preferred material of construction is the so-called squeeze bottle type of polyethylene, with the walls of the case being thin and pliable, and the pocket portion and slit 23 are opened by squeezing the sides 17 of case 11 toward each other in the outer end portions or the cigarete package pocket of the case. See FIGS. 6 and 7 for the opened position. The normally close-d position of case 11 in regard to the cigarette package pocket is shown in FIGS. 2 and of the drawings. The slit 23 is large enough so as to when open permit the insertionof a full package of cigarettes 13 into the case and the pocket therein for such package of cigarettes 13. Room is provided for squeezing toward each other the sides 17 to open slit 23, to in turn permit withdrawal of a cigarette from package 13 (FIG. 6).

The opposite and other end portion 25 of case 11 is another pocket, and preferably of size to snugly receive and hold the body portion of pocket size cigarette lighter 15 with the operating mechanism of the lighter projecting out the end of the case 11. As a-result, the lighter 15 is operated without removal from case 11. The sides 17 and 19 of case 11 taper inwardly from the cigarette package pocket portion to the outer end of portion 25 of the case. A slit or opening 27 is provided in the outer end of lighter pocket portion 25, and lighter 15 is insorted into and removed from case 11 through this slit or opening 27. I have found it preferable to make slit or opening 27 of size so that when the lighter 15 is inserted, the edges of the opening 27 will overlap the body of the lighter 15. See FIGS. 2 and 4 of the drawings. The slit or opening 27 is placed in open position for insertion of lighter 15 by squeezing the sides of the case in end portion 25, that is, the narrow sides.

An imperforate transverse partition 29 is formed in case 11. This partition 29 defines the inner extent of the pockets of the caseor the package of cigarettes and the pocket cigarette lighter. This partition 29 is most preferably made imperforate, so that there can be no contamination of the cigarettes of package 13 by lighter fluid or fumes, and as a matter of fact pocket portion 25 of case 11 protects against this as compared to the lighter 15 and package of cigarettes 13 being loose in the pocket or purse of the user. The imperforate partition 29 can be and preferably is formed integral with the rest of the case 11, and out of the same material.

As will be evident to those skilled in the art, various modifications of the cigarette and lighter case of my invention can be made, or followed, in the light of this disclosure and discussion, without departing from the spirit or scope of this disclosure or from the scope of the claims.

I claim:

1. A case for a package of cigarettes and a pocket cigarette lighter comprising, an integrally formed elongated and sectionalized case of thin and readily pliable plastic material, said case having opposite narrow sides and opposite relatively wide sides and having as one end portion a normally closed pocket of size in the inner end portion to snugly receive the norm-ally closed end portion of a package of cigarettes, the relatively wide sides in the outer end portion of said pocket being approximately semi-circular and said outer end portion being slit centrally in the end from one of the narrow sides to the other and openable by squeezing toward each other said narrow sides in said pocket end portion of said case, and said pocket of overall size to receive through said slit when open and snugly hold a full package of cigarettes with said pocket closed, the other end portion of said case being another pocket and of size to snugly receive and hold the body of a pocket size cigarette lighter with the operating mechanism thereof projecting from said case, the outer end of said last-named end portion of said case being slit centrally from one of said narrow case sides to the other and said last-named end portion being openable by squeezing toward each other said narrow sides in said last-named pocket end of said case, and imperforate transverse partition means in said case between said pocket end portions and defining the inner extent of said pockets.

2. A case for a package of cigarettes and a pocket lighter comprising, a case of pliable plastic material hav mg opposite narrow sides and opposite relatively wide sides, said case having in one end portion a normally closed pocket of size to snugly receive and hold a package of cigarettes, the outer end of said outer end portion of said case being slit from one of the narrow sides to the other and said pocket being openable by squeezing said narrow sides in said pocket end portion of said case, said package of cigarettes being insertable into said pocket through said slit, another pocket in the other end portion of said case and of size to snugly receive and hold a pocket size cigarette lighter with the operating mechanism thereof projecting from said case, the outer end of said last-named end portion of said case being slit from one of said narrow case sides to the other and said last-named end portion being openable by squeezing said narrow sides in said last-named pocket end of said case,

and dividing partition means in said case between said pockets thereof.

3. A case for a package of cigarettes and a pocket lighter comprising, a case of pliable material having a normally closed pocket in one end portion of size to receive and hold a package of cigarettes, a slit in said end portion of said end case and said end portion being openable by squeezing the sides of said case in said end portion, said slit when open being of size to pass therethrough said package of cigarettes, a pocket in the other end portion of said case of size -to receive and hold a pocket size cigarette lighter with the operating mechanism thereof projecting from said case, a slit in said lastnamed end portion of said case of size to pass said cigarette lighter therethrough, and means in said case between said pockets thereof defining the inner extent of said pockets.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 854,384 Ross May 21, 1907 2,043,888 Deni-t June 9, 1936 2,116,041 Regan May 3, 1938 2,555,935 Richey June 5, 1951 2,667,906 Stiller Feb. 2, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 647,829 Great Britain Dec. 20, 1950 220,597 Switzerland Sept. 1, 1942 

